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SANDY — Following this past weekend's 2-1 victory over the L.A. Galaxy, Real Salt Lake sent five players off to perform on the international stage, four for World Cup qualifying matches.
The World Cup qualifying matches will be held Oct. 12 and 16.
And the timing couldn't be any more perfect with an 11-day break before any competition for the Salt Lake club in both Major League Soccer or Champions League action.
Three of the five jetted off Sunday to represent the United States. RSL captain and midfielder Kyle Beckerman and goalkeeper Nick Rimando both join the U.S. men's national team for World Cup qualifying matches while young RSL midfielder Luis Gil met up with the U.S. Under-20 national team in Spain for the Marbella Cup.
RSL forward Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) and midfielder Will Johnson (Canada) also left Sunday to meet up with their respective national teams.
All but Johnson saw the pitch Saturday at the Home Depot Center against the Galaxy.
Beckerman, Rimando, Saborio and Johnson have all seen international duty during the last two FIFA breaks this season and all will be looking to increase their international caps.
The United States will play one away match facing Antigua & Barbuda Oct. 12 and then one home match where it will host Guatemala in Kansas City on Oct. 16.
Saborio and the Costa Rican team will face El Salvador Oct. 12 and will host Guyana on Oct. 16 while Johnson and the Canadian team will face Honduras and Cuba.
The roster will reconvene before it returns to MLS and Champions League action and close out the regular season to chase the 2012 MLS Cup.
Fans still have a chance to catch the Claret and Cobalt in action two more times inside Rio Tinto stadium before playoff action begins when RSL hosts Herediano for its final 2012 CONCACAF match Oct. 23 and its final MLS regular season match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 27.
Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
